Luka Doncic is set to lead this next era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, which is an exciting prospect given that he is only 26-years-old.
Admittedly, L.A. fans are spoiled with the number of stars that have suited up in the purple and gold. But that is the allure of a franchise that has won 17 championships and is looking for more.
Specifically for Doncic, he is searching for his first ring and got his first opportunity back in 2024 against the Lakers’ storied rivals, the Boston Celtics. He came up short though and now that the Slovenian star inked a three-year, $165 million extension, he wants to add more championship banners to the rafters and win his first with the organization.
“It’s an honor playing for this organization. Many, many great players played here, so, obviously, I want to add one more up there. So, that’s what we’re working for,” Doncic said at his press conference for the extension.
As Doncic mentioned, there have been plenty of greats that have played for the Lakers, but he is already up there in terms of point guards. Magic Johnson comes to mind due to his incredible playmaking and the five-time All-NBA guard has already shown flashes of that in only 28 games with the team after being traded last season.
Not only is Doncic hoping to bring championships back to the Lakers, but he also wants to see his jersey in the rafters one day alongside all the other greats.
“Yeah, obviously, like I said, being a Laker is an honor and I wanted to be here. Obviously, when you look up here, so many great names and what they achieved, I want to be up there too, one day,” Doncic said.
The sky is the limit for Doncic as he has plenty of great years left and general manager Rob Pelinka has expressed a desire to build championship-caliber rosters around him right away.
The pressure doesn’t seem to be too much for the Lakers star and he appears motivated to bring titles back to L.A., which is always the goal.
Rob Pelinka: Luka Doncic extension is monumental moment in Lakers history
Before trading for Luka Doncic, there was uncertainty surrounding the Lakers and whether they could be a serious team when LeBron James left or retired. Now that they have found their next face of the franchise and signed him to a long-term deal, Rob Pelinka called it a monumental moment in the organization’s history.
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